


Bloody Bank

by TheAmazingOntos



Series: Change [9]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: Magic Revealed, Mild Language, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:01:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27492361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAmazingOntos/pseuds/TheAmazingOntos
Summary: Everyday Application of Magic
Series: Change [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1960861





	Bloody Bank

Hotel rooms are depressing. They give you the stuff you should have at home, but you shouldn't make yourself at home in them. That said, the room I had to call home wasn't too bad. I had a big T.V., a desk, a big bed and most importantly, a tiny fridge. 

"How are you settling in? You need any help moving anything?" Austin asks. 

"I don't have anything. Crap, I don't even have any more clothes. I've got to go shopping, I say, my voice filled with disgust. "But before that, I've got to go to the bank. I kinda hate being dead for the last year."

"I'll go with you. You need a consigner with the bank until State sends them some paperwork. I'll loan you cash until that happens," Austin says. I'm not sure what to feel about this. On the one hand, I actually do need the help getting things together. On the other, I don't like people doing things for me, especially someone who is trying to screw the woman I like.

Unfortunately, beggars can't be choosers, so for now I say, "All right, let's go to the bank first. Then I'll get some clothes. Is there a dress code or anything like that?"

"Have you seen our front desk staff? There's no dress code except wear decent clothes, and you'd be surprised how many people didn't want to at first. And always the ones who should be covered up..." Austin muses, caught in a memory I think I'm happier not having. 

We make our way to the nearest branch of my bank, and we have to submit to a magical scan before we can enter the building. We pass through a circle designed to glow in the presence of an active magical drain, either from a person or an enchantment. 

The guard manning the post pulls a rope across the entryway after us and makes a call. "Entryway is closed. Circle is depleted, but there's only two more to go through," he says into the headset, having dismissed us already. 

We walk further into the bank, and find someone waiting for us. "Hello, sirs..."

"Don't call me sir, I work for a living," I blurt out without thinking. Thankfully, the bank representative is more professional than I am, and ignores my outburst. 

"My name is Stacy, how can I help you?" she asks me with a straight face.

Fifteen minutes later, my business is sorted and I get ready to leave. On the way out, Stacy makes me an odd seeming request. "It said on your documents that you're an Artificer. If you can recharge the detection circle, I'll get the branch manager to expedite your paperwork."

"The head office is looking at closing this location because we don't have enough walk in visitors anymore. I'm having problems getting the Guild to come in and do the work, and that is my project. Can you do it?"  
Austin smoothly interjects himself, saying, "He can, but your branch will handle any and all issues coming from this with the Guild."

As we walk over to the circles, I whisper to him, "This is a bad idea. I have no idea what I'm doing. Why did you volunteer me for this?"

We stop in front of the circle, and before I can pull away, Austin grabs my hand and says, "Trust me," right before he stabs it and drips the blood onto the outer line of runes. They flare red, then shift to blue, before settling back down to an almost imperceptible gold sheen.

"Ow," I say, almost out of reflex. I'm too preoccupied with the circle itself, however, because now I can look at it and read every part of it. It's more than just simple knowledge, though, because I feel like I'm aware of everything to do with it, down to the fading of a specific rune that caused the whole thing l to run out of power.

Ignoring everyone around me, I walk around to the worn rune and repair it by adding a small amount of blood. The circle flares gold and settles down again to it's dim glow. "I expect my paperwork to be finished within the hour," I say as I leave. That feeling of connectedness to the circle is unnerving, and I want to escape it.

"Thanks for stabbing me. It's exactly what I wanted to happen today," I say, sarcasm heavy on my voice as we walk back out of the bank. 

Completely unfazed, Austin responds, "You're welcome. Let's get you some pretty clothes, and take you back to your suite. I'm not coming in, though, because you're still on at least a one year dry spell and I don't like you that way."

"Fucking smartass," I mutter as I walk off, thinking to myself that I need to go back to the Guildhall soon.


End file.
